New guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that childhood obesity should be treated early and aggressively. That means using drugs for kids as young as 12, and weight loss surgery for kids as young as 13.
It’s the first guidance from the AAP regarding childhood weight loss in around 15 years. Studies show that nearly 20% of children fall into the obese BMI category, as do 42% of adults.
Dr. Andrew Storm, an endoscopist with the Mayo Clinic, says he’s “really excited” about the new guidelines.
“Over the last 20 to 30 years, we've developed new diseases in America. Believe it or not, we see liver transplantation being necessary in kids,” he said. “And again, 20 to 30 years ago that wasn't needed. This is liver transplantation for fatty liver disease, again, something that has never been associated with childhood in the past.”
As for which drugs specifically would be used under these guidelines, Dr. Storm says there are a few options. However, it’s taken a while because getting studies approved for children’s medication can be more challenging.
“I think at this point, now, there's enough evidence that this is a safe treatment, and that the long term effects of obesity that carry well beyond childhood are something we need to pay attention to and something we need to treat,” he said.
Dr. Storm acknowledged that there is sometimes a healthy level of fat that people can have.
“Not everyone needs to be skinny,” he said. “And in fact, for a lot of people skinny is going to be unhealthy. Skinny, to some extent, particularly in women, can lead to brittle bones and other issues that can cause problems in the long term. So again, the goal is not to be skinny, the goal is to be healthy.”
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